


Cars 2 from Shu's perspective

by ShuTodoroki



Category: Cars (Pixar Movies)
Genre: Angst, Car Accidents, Drinking, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Graphic description of pile up, Hugs, Japanese Culture, M/M, Mach treats Shu like a son, Party, Racing, Shu almost dies, Shu is a good boy, Shu is too polite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:22:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27304810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShuTodoroki/pseuds/ShuTodoroki
Summary: Shu is excited for the start of the World Grand Prix, but when it all unravels and he is involved in a pile up in Porto Corsa, he wonders whether the racing competition is a failure.
Relationships: Shu Todoroki/Mach Matsuo, Shu Todoroki/Miguel Camino
Kudos: 14





	1. The Party in Tokyo

Shu Todoroki had a slight smile on his face as he posed for a group photo on the stage of the World Grand Prix Tokyo Welcome Party, while Miles Axlerod was interviewing Lightning McQueen. 

He was proud of how the party turned out. Japan had gotten the honor of hosting the first race, which meant they also hosted the welcome party. As the racer representing Japan, he and his team were given the responsibility of planning it, and it looked impressive. 

Of course, it also defended his honor in being a part of planning a party that showed the world what Japan has to offer. He wanted to be the pride of Japan in all of his races.

Granted, forcing all ten racers onto the stage was a bit of a squeeze, as he was sandwiched between Lewis Hamilton and Miguel Camino. He hoped the media was almost done… 

He was brought back to reality out of his thoughts when the Spanish racer on his right talked to him. "This is a very nice party you've planned, señor Todoroki." 

He grinned in response to the compliment. "Arigato gozaimasu, Camino-san. I, of course, did have help from-" He cut off as a screaming tow truck with his tongue hanging out made a bee-line for the fountain behind Miles Axlerod and Lightning McQueen, proceeding to lap at the fountain. 

Everyone stared at the tow truck, shocked, while Lightning turned back to the crowd, looking mortified. Most of the race cars were cringing while staring at the tow truck, though Francesco seemed to find amusement in the situation as he chuckled. 

Shu was no exception as he grimaced. "I hope that the tow truck knows that the water feature is not a drinking fountain."

“I think that tow truck is with McQueen. Jeff and I saw him complimenting the pitty making sand designs in the rock garden, albeit a bit loudly. McQueen excused himself to go talk to him.” Lewis chimed in.

“Well, that would explain why he looks so-” Miguel was interrupted as said tow truck spoke into the microphone after satiating himself with the water fountain.

“Whatever you do, do not eat the free pistachio ice cream. It has turned!” The last world echoed throughout the converted art museum as everyone stared at him, some angry, some confused.

Shu had no idea what the tow truck was talking about, looking bewildered as Lightning tried to explain himself to Miles while everyone watched. “What is this pistachio ice cream that he’s talking about?”

“I think he was referring to wasabi. Explains why he wanted water…” Lewis remarked.

“Wasabi and ice cream are two very different things. Though if he took wasabi like it was ice cream, I hope he’s-” Shu gasped as he saw a pool of oil forming beneath Mater, causing Francesco to laugh even harder while Lightning looked like he wanted to die right then and there. 

“The tow truck obviously isn’t alright.” Miguel stated as the tow truck looked embarrassed and Lightning confronted him. 

“I just feel bad for Lightning at this point, to be honest.” Lewis paused. “I mean, first the rock garden, then the water fountain, now this?” 

Shu watched the tow truck quickly leave the way he came, presumably to go to the bathroom while Lightning looked at Miles sheepishly. “McQueen-san seems to be handling it well, at least.”

“Si. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I was in his tires.” Miguel agreed as they soon lost sight of the tow truck. 

“If he didn’t know what wasabi was, I shudder to think how he’s gonna use the loo.” Lewis joked.

Shu’s eyes widened with realization. “You’re right, Hamilton-san. If he damages one of the toilets in there I will bring great dishonor to my family. They’re expensive.”

“What’re you gonna do? Go in there and teach him how to use the bathroom?” Miguel laughed. “It’s fine."

“But as a good host I…” He trailed off as he saw some of his fellow racers dispersing. The press was apparently satisfied with the number of pictures they had gotten. “I suppose you’re right.”

Miguel gave Shu a tire bump. “C’mon, don’t worry about him, amigo. Now we can enjoy the party you’ve planned.” 

Shu gave a slight smile in response as he drove off of the stage with Miguel to mingle amongst the crowd. Stress would not do him any good for the inaugural race tomorrow, anyway.


	2. Tokyo Race

Shu smirked as he maneuvered his way to the starting line behind Raoul CaRoule after being fueled up with Allinol, mentally preparing himself for the race. This was his home track, so hopefully he’d start off the World Grand Prix strong, since he knew this track the best. 

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath after he stopped behind Lewis Hamilton, thinking about the layout of the track and how he’d go about the first lap, only to be interrupted by Francesco laughing. The sound was foreign to the crowd cheering and engine revs, which made him break his concentration.

Apparently, Francesco thought it was the appropriate time to make fun of Lightning while he was trying to prepare. Shu rolled his eyes as he shot a quick glare behind him, which was not caught by Francesco, who was too busy making fun of Lightning’s preparation techniques at the moment.

_How immature..._ He thought as he figured that he’d just have to make do with the practice he had already garnered in preparation for the World Grand Prix. Just in time, too, as the starting lights came on, each column of red lights turning on from right to left.

In no time, the green lights came on, and Shu floored it at the same time as the other racers. He accelerated to overtake Lewis to the right before slowing down slightly again, conserving his engine until he would need it on the later laps. 

He instinctively felt discouraged when Francesco and Lightning overtook him, but he had already made his way to fourth place after passing a few more racers, which was already quite a strong start. He could overtake the three ahead of him later.

“You are doing well to be already in fourth place. Don’t feel the need to go any farther. Conserve your energy for use later on to dominate.” His crew chief, Mach Matsuo, encouraged through his radio in Japanese, which he always spoke in during races.

“Hai. I will dominate.” He responded as he maneuvered some of the turns in the opening section. He reached the Palace hairpin turn and took the outside, allowing for him to keep his greater speed, which let him pass Carla without accelerating. 

However, he hit the dirt section of the track at too high of a speed, and he felt his rear tires start to skid. He slowed down to compensate, but Raoul CaRoule managed to pass him because of it. “Bakana!” He shouted as he tried to catch up while more racers passed him. 

“You will be back on asphalt as you enter the tunnel. Don’t worry.” Mach reassured. 

Sure enough, Shu managed to get into third place after passing through the tunnel as he drifted around the turns to maintain speed. He managed to maintain this standing as he went around the 360° loop, crossing the Rainbow Bridge, and soon arriving at where they came from.

He was about to try and pass Carla when he heard a loud explosion behind him, darting his eyes to see that Miguel’s engine had exploded. He saw him going into the pits, but he had no time to think about it as he focused back on the track. _I hope Camino-san is alright. That was loud._ He thought as he continued racing. 

Suddenly, he heard another explosion behind him; this time, Rip Clutchgoneski’s engine had blown. He was starting to get suspicious that something sinister was going on. “Nani? What’s happening?”

“I don’t know, but you’d better focus on the race.” Mach replied with a concerned tone.

“Alright... “ Shu said as he reached the 360° loop again. He crossed the Rainbow Bridge again, and shortly after he saw and heard Max Schnell’s engine blow up in front of him. He passed the crippled German racer, and he looked quite shaken as he crossed the finish line in fourth. 

He made his way over to the pits afterwards as he met his crew chief and pitties. “Sumimasen. I finished in fourth.”

“It’s alright. You look shaken. I am too, after seeing that.” Mach replied in English.

“That was the third blown engine in a single race, Matsuo-sensei.” Shu remarked. “I would be lying if I said that I did not doubt the safety of this Allinol that we are required to use.” He gazed over at the race track, where Rip Clutchgoneski and Max Schnell were still stranded while tow trucks prepared to tow them to their pits to be repaired.

Mach looked pensive. "I'm sure that Axelrod-san will explain to the press later." 

"I hope so." He saw Miguel in his pit with his crew, looking quite despondent. Who could blame him? "I will go talk to Camino-san. He looks very sad."

"Alright. I'll radio you when it's time to head back to the hotel." 

"Hai." Shu replied as he drove over to Miguel's pit. Miguel's crew chief, Petro Cartalina, was talking to Miguel in Spanish, so the two did not see him, but Miguel's pitties saw him coming, and one of them nudged Petro to notify him of Shu's arrival. 

Petro regarded him with a warm smile while Miguel seemed to perk up a bit, but he still looked down. "Señor Todoroki. What are you doing here?" Miguel asked, a bit confused. 

"You looked quite down. I wanted to ask if you were alright." Shu explained.

Miguel sighed. "Save for my engine, I'm fine. The replacement will not come in until tomorrow. I'm afraid that I will miss the race in Porto Corsa." 

"Clutchgoneski-san and Schnell-san also had their engines explode. The race will not go on without you and them." 

"I suppose." Miguel still looked uneasy. "Petro and I were talking about the possibility that Allinol caused my engine to explode." 

"Mach and I share the same sentiments. We're waiting for Axelrod-san to comment, though." 

As if on cue, Miles Axelrod appeared on the TV screens in Miguel's pit. "Well, here he is." Petro said as they listened.

"Allinol is safe! Alternative fuel is safe! There is no way my fuel caused these cars to flame out!" He insisted in the midst of camera flashes.

Everyone in Miguel's pit looked unconvinced, but if the creator of Allinol was still insisting that Allinol was safe, they couldn't do anything about it. "I guess we have to take his word for it." Shu said hesitantly. 

"Tell that to the car whose engine just exploded. I can't drive anywhere." 

"You will only have to wait a day, though. Clutchgoneski-san is a Formula car; I believe that his engine is rarer, and it will take him longer." Shu pointed out, trying to cheer Miguel up.

"I guess that's true. I'm just quite discouraged at the moment." Miguel admitted, still looking quite glum.

"I heard that you've taken on bulldozers as a toreador, yes?" Shu asked.

"Yes, that is true."

"Then this is nothing to you, Camino-san." Shu asserted with a slight smile. 

Miguel cheered up at that as he returned the smile. "You're right. I am Miguel Camino; I can handle anything." 

"Keizoku wa chikara nari." Shu always liked that Japanese proverb.

"What does that mean?" Miguel asked.

"Continuation is power. In other words, don't give up when you encounter challenges in life." 

"Thank you, señor Todoroki. I…really needed that." 

"Think nothing of it." Shu replied. He didn't see helping a fellow racer out as something that needed to be thanked for. It was the right thing to do.

"You may put me out of a job in the realm of motivational speeches." Petro joked, happy that his racer was in a better mindset.

"Oh, no, I would never." Shu replied as he bowed. "I should head back to my pit now. I look forward to seeing you again in Porto Corsa." He said to Miguel.

"Me too. See you in Porto Corsa." Miguel replied as Shu drove off after waving with a tire. 

Little did they both know that what would happen in Porto Corsa was something that neither of them would look forward to.


	3. Arrival in Porto Corsa

Shu looked around in awe as he drove from the airport in Porto Corsa to the racers' hotel, gazing at all of the bridges and canals surrounded by hillside villas and casinos. He had never seen so many casinos before because gambling was strictly controlled in Japan, though if he ignored the gambling aspect they were very opulent buildings.

Of course, he was a bit hindered in admiring Porto Corsa’s landscape as his crew chief tried to keep press and fans away from him during his drive, though one question that was loudly yelled at him caught his attention.

“Signor Todoroki, do you still think Allinol is safe?”

“Hai. Axelrod-san had a panel of scientists conclude that Allinol was safe, yes? There is your answer.” He replied as he continued driving. He had no idea how much he would eat those words later.

He finally arrived at the racers' hotel, finding refuge from the press with the other racers (save for Lightning and Francesco, who were staying with family friends). The others had arrived before him, and most greeted him with a tire wave as he did a Japanese bow. “It is very nice to see you all again.” He greeted as Mach went to talk with the other crew chiefs that were there.

He smiled as he saw Miguel Camino, Rip Clutchgoneski, and Max Schnell in the hotel lobby. “I am very glad that you three made it here.” 

“I am too. I was afraid that I would not get a replacement engine in time…” Rip remarked, still looking a bit stressed while Max and Miguel seemed to be in better spirits. 

“Well, you are here now, aren’t you Clutchgoneski-san?” 

“Yes, I am. It’s just that this is New Rearendia’s first world racing competition, and I want to represent them well.” Rip explained.

“No one should hold it against you that your engine exploded.” Shu asserted.

“Thank you. I hope to do better this time.”

“Speaking of blown engines, my pit crew could not figure out what would cause my engine to blow like that.” Max stated.

“Si, the same was the case for my pit crew as well.” Miguel agreed.

“Me three.” Rip also agreed.

“Señor Todoroki and I thought that Allinol may have caused my engine to blow, but Sir Axlerod already said that scientists confirmed that it was safe.” 

“Hai. Though if it is not Allinol, I’m not sure what else could cause such a thing to happen.”

“Me neither. No matter; the important thing is that we are here, and the Porto Corsa race will give us a chance to finish the race this time.” Max stated, trying to forget about what happened in Tokyo.

"You are right." Shu agreed. "There's no use in focusing on what happened in Tokyo." 

Miguel suddenly looked excited as he pointed with a tire. "Look! They are handing out fresh oil." The four had separated from the rest of the racers, and a forklift waitress was offering Italian cans of oil to the other racers. "I have not tried Italian oil; I've heard it's very good. Vámonos!" 

Shu chuckled lightly as he followed Miguel with Rip and Max. He'd relax and have fun like he did the night before the Tokyo race. The three engine flameout in Tokyo was a coincidence, and the race tomorrow would go just fine. Right?


	4. The Pile Up

Shu took a deep breath as he lined up behind Lightning McQueen on the Porto Corsa race track. Alright. Today was the day. He would get better than fourth place today, and make Japan proud. 

He closed his eyes after he stopped and took another deep breath, picturing the Porto Corsa race track layout and how he'd maneuver throughout it. He opened his eyes once he was content with his planning. "I will domin-" He cut off as Francesco parked next to Lightning, right in front of him.

 _What now?_ He thought as he stared forward, annoyed. At first, it seemed like Francesco was consoling Lightning about something, which surprised him. That is, until Francesco pointed out where his mother was and started obnoxiously yelling to her, telling her something about how he would beat Lightning. 

He rolled his eyes and sighed. Apparently, Francesco did not know that some racers had preparation techniques that they went through before races. He could only hope that the Italian racer would not do that in London. 

The starting lights soon came on, and he floored it at the same time as the other racers when the lights turned green. He narrowed his eyes as he kept his position on the straight section of track, heading into the Italian countryside. 

"Your current speed is good. You will have the chance to overtake the other racers later." Mach advised. 

"Hai." He responded quickly as he navigated some steep road grades, ensuring that he did not lose traction while going uphill or downhill. 

"You will be approaching the hairpin turn soon. Slow down, but don't overcompensate." 

He took the inside lane as he slowed down, taking the turn nicely. He was consistently in fourth place; this was good. He approached the straight section of the Casino Bridge, and crossed it while maintaining his speed, taking a quick glance to enjoy the seaside view. 

He soon looped back around to the starting line, where he completed a lap. "Am I doing well so far?" He asked into his radio.

"Hai. On the final lap you can focus on overtaking." Mach replied. 

He focused on the track as he did the same maneuvers as last time to ensure that he kept traction, soon reaching the hairpin turn…only to see Carla Veloso and Nigel Gearsley getting towed away from the Casino Bridge. Smoke was visibly billowing out of their hoods.

His expression turned from one of determination to one of horror as he crossed the Casino Bridge again, following Francesco and Lightning. "Matsuo-sensei, do you see what has happened?" 

"Hai…" Mach replied, unsure as to what to do. "We will discuss the safety of Allinol later. Focus on the last lap." 

"You cannot possibly be telling me to focus on the race when Tokyo is happening all over again." 

"There is nothing else that you can do." Mach replied. 

His crew chief had a point, unfortunately. He had already passed the pits. "I guess…" He replied hesitantly as he entered the final lap. He was visibly faltering this time on the steep grades, but he forced himself to focus. He would finish this lap, and he would be done. He rounded the hairpin turn, and approached the Casino Bridge one last time.

His eyebrows were knitted into a frown as he focused on crossing the bridge, until he heard a very loud explosion. He immediately thought that it was a racer behind him, until he found himself skidding sideways, smoke billowing out of his hood. No. It couldn't be. It wasn't him. It was anyone but him.

Yet it was him. His engine had blown. He tried to turn his tires to keep a straight heading, but he veered to the left. This was not happening, no. It was impossible. He needed to turn back to the right; he was blocking the- 

His train of thought was interrupted when he heard the screeching of tires to his left. Miguel was trying to brake so that he wouldn't collide with him, but it was too late. He grunted as his left side took the brunt of the impact, and he went airborne for a second before he landed hard on his front undercarriage, sparks flying as his rear tires landed on Miguel's hood. 

They were still skidding down the Casino Bridge when he heard another set of tires screeching; this time it was Max trying to brake. He looked on helplessly as Max collided with both of them, sending him flying into a guardrail, his spoiler taking the brunt of the impact this time. 

He was now separated from Max and Miguel by a few meters, hoping that other racers approaching realized what was going on to prevent further exacerbation of the pile-up. Luck was not in his favor as he saw Raoul and Rip approaching from behind Max and Miguel, and they, too, could not stop in time.

They collided with Max and Miguel, sending Max hurtling towards his right side, sending him flying a few meters until he finally stopped. He heard another set of screeching tires, and braced himself for another impact, but it never came, as Jeff and Lewis thankfully stopped in time.

He groaned in pain as everything except his hood was severely dented and misshapen. This was a bad dream. He would wake up in his hotel room in Porto Corsa, and the real race would start. Except it was not. It was reality. He heard something coming in through his radio, but he didn't comprehend it as his vision started to blur.

He became less conscious as his eyes closed, the wail of an ambulance siren being the last thing he heard before his world turned black.


	5. Porto Corsa Hospital

Shu slowly opened his eyes as he awoke, disorientated. He initially thought that he was in his Porto Corsa hotel room, since he was on a bed, and that he just had an extremely horrifying nightmare. That was what he thought until his vision cleared, and he saw Raoul CaRoule on a hospital bed opposite him, awake. "W-Where am I?" He weakly asked.

Miguel, on an adjacent bed, realized that Shu was conscious when he heard him ask the question, and smiled. "I am glad that you are awake, amigo. We are in Porto Corsa Hospital." 

He panned his gaze across the room, seeing that Miguel, Max, Raoul, and Rip were in the same room, now looking at him since he was awake. "I see…I am sorry." He apologized, looking quite solemn and ashamed of himself.

"Quoi?" Raoul asked, confused. "What are you apologizing for?"

"I caused the crash, CaRoule-san. I could not regain control when my engine exploded."

"Nonsense. I know that spinning out is inevitable when your engine blows. It was not your fault. If anything, it is Sir Axlerod's fault for endangering us for this long." Miguel asserted.

"Ja. He announced that he will not require us to use Allinol for the final race in London." Max informed him.

"He's still having the final race? None of us are in any condition to race at the moment." He protested. 

"He delayed it by a few days to give us time to recover." Rip explained. "Makes sense, considering only Lightning and Francesco made it past the finish line. 

That news shocked him, until he remembered that the two racers ahead of him besides Lightning and Francesco, Carla and Nigel, had their engines flame out, and the rest of the racers were behind him when his engine flamed out. "I thought that Axlerod had a panel of scientists confirm that it was safe."

"They still don't know what's wrong with Allinol that would cause our engines to explode." Miguel stated.

"You did not add 'san' after his last name." Raoul pointed out, looking curiously at him.

"After what he has done, I do not believe that he deserves my respect." 

"I agree, but Lightning apparently thinks otherwise." Miguel said. "He decided to stick with Allinol."

"Nani!?!" He exclaimed. "McQueen-san is asking to have his engine blown up. What if another pile up occurs?" 

"He said something about his friend saying it was safe. He didn't stand by a friend of his recently, so he didn't want to make the same mistake again." Raoul recounted. 

He wanted to call Lightning a "baka," but didn't out of respect. "I assume that he is referring to his tow truck friend. We did not see him at the Porto Corsa race. Though that is admirable, he should not be risking his safety to make a point." 

"That is valid. On the bright side, all of us have already been repaired." Max pointed out. "I cannot vouch for how long you were asleep, but Raoul and Rip probably can. They were the first to wake up."

"We actually did not black out because our injuries were the least severe." Raoul explained. "You've been asleep for a day, monsieur Todoroki." 

He used one of his mirrors attached to his hood to look at his frame, and he was indeed repaired. "My engine as well?"

Miguel nodded. “Si. By the way, do not feel the need to use honorifics with us. First names are fine. I feel that we are familiar enough, and we are all racers here, yes?”

There were various murmurs of agreement from Max, Raoul, and Rip.

He was taken aback. “Are you sure? It is a sign of disrespect in Japan.”

“Well, we are not in Japan, are we?” Miguel joked. “Besides, we will not take it as such.”

“Oh. In that case, thank you…Miguel.” It was foreign, for sure, for him to use first names. He only ever did that with his family. “I suppose the same goes for me.”

“So we can call you Shu?” Rip clarified.

“Hai. It would be awkward otherwise.” 

“Right you are, Shu.” Max agreed, being the first to use his first name.

Shu smiled slightly. The removal of formalities and honorifics gave a sense of familiarity that was comforting to him. He then saw the door to the hospital room open as a nurse entered, presumably to check on them. She saw that he was awake and smiled warmly.

“Ah, signor Todoroki, you are awake. I will let your crew chief know.” She said as she quickly exited the room. 

“Matsuo-sensei is here?” He wondered aloud.

“Oui. He was waiting downstairs for you to wake up.” Raoul stated.

Shu was glad that he was going to see his crew chief, but he felt bad that he probably spent a whole day at the hospital, waiting for him to regain consciousness.

“Are you alright, amigo? You look troubled.” Miguel pointed out, looking concerned.

“Did my crew chief spend the night here?” 

“Yes, our crew chiefs did as well. Why do you ask?” Rip questioned.

“I hope that he is alright after sleeping on a hospital couch.”

“Shu, he’s going to be more worried about you than whether he got a good night’s sleep. That was the case for all of us.” Miguel stated.

“I suppose you’re right…” He replied as the door to the hospital room opened, Mach driving swiftly through. His crew chief’s eyes lit up as he made his way over to his hospital bed quickly. “Todoroki-san, I'm so glad that you're awake!”

"Sumimasen. I know that you've been worried, and spent the night here."

"You need to stop apologizing so much. None of this was your fault." Mach stated. "I tried to radio you when I saw you explode on the monitors, but you did not reply. They told me that you were unconscious, and I-" 

He broke off his sentence as he looked like he was about to cry. "I thought that you were dead." He said before he hugged the racer tightly with his tires.

Shu was deeply touched as his crew chief hugged him. He knew that Mach cared about him, but not to this extent. "Matsuo-sensei, I am not that fragile." He reassured, trying to console his crew chief as he returned the hug. He also looked a bit embarrassed as Mach was hugging him in front of his fellow racers. Miguel smiled at him knowingly.

"Hai, I know that now." Mach said as he released him from the hug. "If you do not want to participate in the race in London, I understand." 

"The main issue was Allinol itself, yes? I should be fine if I can use conventional fuel."

"Do you feel alright?" Mach asked, concerned about whether Shu was up for participating in the last race.

He nodded. "Yes, I am totally repaired. I do not want to end this competition with a race like what just happened." 

"If you are up for it, Todoroki-san, then I am too." Mach asserted. "By the way, they are planning on discharging you all tomorrow morning, so that you all have time to get to London." He said as he looked at the other racers in the room. 

"Magnifique!" Raoul exclaimed. "The hospital was getting boring, anyway." 

"Speak for yourself. You and Rip were the least damaged." Miguel pointed out. "It is very good news, though."

"Ja. We can finish the last race off strong this time." Max said.

"I am looking forward to seeing you all in London. If you will excuse me, I have to head to the airport to make arrangements for travel." Mach bowed, and gave Shu a light tire bump before he exited the door leading to their room.

"Your crew chief definitely cares a lot about you." Miguel remarked, smiling.

"Hai, though I did not expect him to hug me like that." 

"Petro also thought that I died when I blacked out. Same for you, right Max?" 

Max nodded. "Otto tried to convince me to not participate in the London race. I told him that you were doing much worse, and you still got fully repaired, Shu." 

"Right. I hope that the race in London will go smoothly, and that we can do another World Grand Prix next year." 

"Me too, Shu." Miguel agreed.

The five racers talked some more to pass the time until it was night, when they fell asleep, looking forward to getting discharged the next morning so that they could head to London.


	6. Arrival in London

Shu drove off of the plane at London Heathrow with his crew chief, soon reaching the exit after clearing immigration and baggage claim…only to be hounded by press and fans. He took the time to take some photos with his fans, but he would not answer the questions that the press were asking, probably originating from rampant rumors.

"Mr. Todoroki, do you know why your engine exploded?"

"Are you crippled for life?"

"Do you still support Allinol?" 

The answers to all three questions were no, but all three questions could also be answered with common sense. He would not be driving by himself like he was right now if he was crippled for life. 

He quickly drove into a Heathrow Express train that would take him to Paddington Station, where the racers' hotel was. He gave a sigh of relief as the doors closed, and the train set off. 

"The press are like hawks. They treat you like their prey." He complained.

"You are just now realizing this, Todoroki-san?" Mach joked. 

"No. It is just very annoying. I am thinking about things, and they disrupt my train of thought."

"What are you thinking about?" Mach asked.

"The race tomorrow. McQueen-san decided to stay with Allinol, and I am worried that if his engine explodes, there will be another wreck. Miguel told me about it when I woke up." 

"The London track is wider than the one in Porto Corsa. You have nothing to worry about." Mach reassured, before he realized that Shu did not use honorifics. "Nani? Are you so familiar with Camino-san?" 

He quickly realized that he forgot to tell Mach about what Miguel said. "Oh, I didn't mean it in that way. Miguel suggested that we five had become familiar enough through talking in the hospital, that we could drop the honorifics. Max, Raoul, and Rip agreed." 

"Ah, I understand. But this does not apply for the rest of the racers?" Mach asked.

"Not to McQueen-san, Bernoulli-san, Veloso-san, Gearsley-san, Hamilton-san, and Gorvette-san, no. I haven't talked to them that much." 

"For a second there, I thought that you were being rude." Mach admitted as he chuckled.

"I would never do such a thing." He asserted.

"Hai. You are always very polite, Todoroki-san." Mach agreed.

"It is a standard in Japan. I would bring great dishonor to my family, otherwise." 

The train soon arrived at Paddington Station, and he and his crew chief disembarked, once again getting hounded by press and fans when they exited the platform. _How do they even know which hotel I’m staying at?_ He wondered as he took some more pictures with fans, even though he just wanted to get to his hotel. 

They finally made it inside the hotel, where he expected to see his fellow racers. He did see them, but they were congregated around Lightning McQueen, who looked distraught. 

“What’s going on?” He asked as he looked at his crew chief.

“I don’t know. Perhaps you should go up and ask.” Mach suggested as he looked concerned. 

He nodded as he pulled up next to Miguel, since he knew him the most. “Miguel, what’s wrong with McQueen-san?” 

“His tow truck amigo is missing. Apparently, his name is Tow Mater. Mater told him that he was flying back to Radiator Springs in Tokyo, but he wasn’t there when he called to talk to Mater.” Miguel explained.

“I hope that Mater-san is alright.” 

“I do too. He said that he’s called the rest of his friends, and they’ll be here for the race tomorrow.”

“Has the police become involved?” He asked.

“Si. Scotland Yard is working on it, and he said that he has a military friend who is talking to the British military to enlist help.”

“That is good. They will find him quickly, I hope.” 

Miguel nodded. “I hope so too.” 

He then saw Lightning approaching him and Miguel; Nigel must’ve pointed out his arrival while Lightning was talking to him. 

“Hey, Shu. I wanted to- Wait, can I call you that?” Lightning asked sheepishly.

“We are all racers here. It is fine.” He replied, echoing what Miguel said at the hospital.

“Okay. I wanted to ask if you were alright after what happened in Porto Corsa. I saw the accident with Francesco, but I didn’t have the chance to visit the hospital to see y’all because shortly after that I called home, only to find out Mater was missing.”

“I am fine. The doctors did a great job of repairing me, and everyone else involved. I’m more concerned about you, McQueen-san.”

“Please, call me Lightning. But yeah, I can’t help but blame myself. I mean, I told him that I didn’t want his help in Tokyo since he was giving me bad advice.”

He remembered that Lightning had opened up the inside during the Tokyo race, and he wondered why. Now he knew why. “Everyone makes mistakes, Lightning. Don’t blame yourself. The police are already looking for your friend, yes?”

“Yeah, they are. I’m just afraid that he’s in danger.”

“Scotland Yard is experienced with these kinds of things. They will find Mater quickly.” Nigel reassured. 

“Hai. Gearsley-san is right.” He agreed. 

“Thanks, guys.” Lightning said. “I guess I should take my mind off of it for a while.”

“How about we go for a tour around London then, yeah? And call me Nigel, mate.” Nigel suggested. 

_Maybe I should just drop honorifics for everyone, since everyone I’ve met has stopped using them since the Tokyo party._ He thought as he nodded. “That is a great idea, Nigel.” 

“I’ve visited London a few times from Stevenage. Not a lot of time to see anything, but we could visit the London Eye and Trafalgear Square.” Lewis said.

“Good idea. With the view from the London Eye, we can say that we’ve seen everything.” Jeff joked. 

“Alright. Excuse me while I let Matsuo-sensei know.” He drove over to where Mach was with the other crew chiefs. 

“Todoroki-san, is McQueen-san alright?” Mach asked, turning to face him when he approached.

“He is concerned because his tow truck friend, Tow Mater, has gone missing. We’re going to the London Eye in hopes of making him feel better. Did you want to come, Matsuo-sensei?”

“Oh. I hope that he is safe, and that the police find him. It is alright; have fun with your racing friends.”

He nodded. “I will see you later.” He drove back to the rest of the racers, and they soon exited the hotel to head to the London Eye. Though he would try and relax before the race like he did in Tokyo and Porto Corsa, the past events would make it impossible.


	7. London Race

Shu sighed as he waited at his pit while he was fueled up with conventional gasoline. He knew it was irrational, but all his mind could do was replay Porto Corsa all over again.

"Todoroki-san, you have nothing to worry about. You're not running on Allinol now." Mach reassured.

"I know. It's just that Tokyo and Porto Corsa have left an impression." 

"I understand, but almost all of the racers are not using Allinol. You'll be safe." 

He was going to respond when he heard a car horn, and Miles Axlerod drove past his pit. "What is he up to?"

Mach looked down the row of pits. "It looks like he is talking to McQueen-san. Probably thanking him for sticking with Allinol." 

"It is a foolish decision." He stated. "I hope that his engine does not blow." 

"I do too." Mach agreed. "They are about to call the racers. Pretend that this race is stand alone. You'll do great." 

"Hai." He said as he closed his fuel cap, following the racers to the starting line. 

He looked straight ahead as he stopped, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. This race would not end like the other two. It would end peacefully, no wrecks, and he could return home to Japan. 

He opened his eyes shortly before the starting lights came on, and he peeled out when the green lights came on with the horn. 

"You know what I will say. Maintain your speed and position, focus on overtaking when you are more familiar with the track on the later laps." 

"Hai." The London circuit was better in that it was relatively flat, and the first section of the track was straight, with very few turns, which allowed him to keep a relatively high speed as he passed Buckingham Palace. He passed under three arches, and soon saw Big Bentley on his left. 

He passed Big Bentley and started crossing the bridge over the River Thames, building up a little more speed on the straight section of track, which put him currently in sixth.

"You are doing well, Todoroki-san. Slow down a bit in anticipation for the turn on the other side of the bridge."

He did so and took the turn nicely, looping back to another straight section of the track that would lead him to the pits. 

He was confused and concerned, however, when he heard a ruckus going on from his radio. "Matsuo-sensei? Is everything alright over there?" 

"A tow truck just drove at a clip into the pits, and stopped at McQueen-san's pit. I think it's that tow truck friend of his you were talking about?" 

"Nani? Tow Mater is there? But he's supposed to be-" 

He cut off as he heard the declaration of a bomb in the pits through the radio. "There's a BOMB in the pits?" 

Things were further complicated when he heard Lightning's voice through the radio, sounding relieved that he saw Mater. "Matsuo-sensei, please tell me what's happening. If there's a bomb in the pits everyone needs to get out. Now." 

"Apparently, there is a bomb on Mater, according to Gearsley-san's crew chief. McQueen-san just arrived, and he's asking if Mater is alright. Mater is telling him to stay away." 

He reached the point where he could see the pits when Mater floored it driving backwards, Lightning in hot pursuit. His mouth was agape with shock as he passed the pits. "I don't believe what I am seeing…" 

He made the turn in front of Buckingham Palace as Lightning and Mater were still in front of him. "Lightning has hooked Mater on his bumper." He said into the radio.

"You'd better overtake them before the bomb explodes!" 

He tried to accelerate to overtake them both…only to see what looked like rockets deploy and fire from the tow truck. "NANI!?!" He exclaimed as Lightning and Mater quickly shot off until they were too far away for him to make out. 

He coughed as he entered a jet trail, and he soon saw that it led to a part of the track barrier that was broken through around a turn. "And they've just broken through the track barrier…" 

Mach was silent as he wasn't sure what advice to give his racer that was still on the track. "If they are off of the track, there is no more danger?" 

"Yes, that is true, but why does the tow truck have rocket engines!?!" 

He didn't even get a reply when the sound of an engine came very close to his roof, causing him to swerve instinctively. He then saw a purple car, FLYING, pass over Francesco who was ahead of him. "Matsuo-sensei, there's-" 

He cut off as a giant explosion rocked the Thames River, just after he crossed the bridge. "D-Did you see that?"

Mach's eyes narrowed. "Todoroki-san, pit when you reach the pits. It is not safe to continue the race. All of the crew chiefs are in agreement." 

"Hai." He said as he reached the straight section after the bridge, soon seeing the pits again. He pitted immediately; Francesco seemed to have already started a new lap, since he was not here.

"What is happening?" He asked for what seemed like the 10th time in the short 5 minutes of pure chaos. 

"I don't know. They haven't even made an official announcement that the race is canceled, but we decided that after the explosion it wasn't safe for you all to be out there." 

"It is most definitely not safe…" He agreed as he started to hear some racers come in behind him. He saw Miguel park behind him and Nigel park in front of him, two pits down.

"Does anyone know what's going on? Because I don't." Jeff asked from near the front of the pits.

"If you think that any of us have any better idea than you do, mate, you're dead wrong." Nigel replied. 

"It is a bad dream…" Francesco said as he parked. 

"Quoi? Lightning and Mater are in front of Buckingham Palace." Raoul stated, prompting everyone to look at the monitors in their pits. 

"What are they doing there?" Max wondered.

"I do not know, but-" Carla cut off as everyone surrounding Buckingham Palace suddenly backed away, screaming when Mater bowed towards the Queen.

"They must've seen the bomb on Mater…" Miguel postulated.

"Who is the silver car that just showed up, and is yelling at Mater to stand down?" Lewis asked.

"Maybe a member of the British police?" Rip suggested.

Everyone gasped when Mater pointed a tire at Miles Axlerod. "He's accusing Sir Axlerod of sabotaging and hurting us." Max said.

"Well, he did hurt us, by keeping us on Allinol for so long…" Shu remarked.

"No, he thinks that Sir Axlerod purposefully caused our engines to blow." Miguel stated.

"…Did that purple car just pull up a holographic picture?" Raoul asked.

"That purple car flew over me on the track!" Francesco exclaimed.

"Flew? Are you okay, amigo?" Miguel asked.

"No, he is right. That car flew over me as well." Shu confirmed.

"He's saying Sir Axlerod is the one who leaked oil at the party in Tokyo." Jeff said.

"He's actually accusing Sir Axlerod of faking switching to electric right now…" Nigel stated in disbelief.

"Sir Axlerod almost fell from the stage!" Carla exclaimed.

"The purple car brings up a good point. I mean, he created the World Grand Prix." Rip opined.

"He's saying Sir Axlerod made Allinol to make alternative fuel look bad, I think." Francesco stated.

"That seems far-fetched to me…I mean, sure, he was an oil baron before, but really?" Lewis reasoned. 

"Doesn't Mater have a bomb on him? Why is he stalling like this?" Max questioned.

"It is very unwise of him, but he must be relying on Sir Axlerod knowing how to deactivate the bomb if he is guilty." Shu explained.

"He will kill anyone in the vicinity of Buckingham Palace if he is wrong about Sir Axlerod!" Raoul yelled, as the Queen and the guards evacuated Buckingham Palace.

"I cannot watch!" Miguel said as he shut his eyes. 

Almost everyone collectively shut their eyes as they anticipated an explosion, but it never came. "Sir Axlerod just yelled 'Deactivate!' and the bomb was deactivated." Jeff said in shock.

"Chrysler, you mean it actually was him?" Nigel was in shock like the rest of the racers and their crew chiefs. 

Everyone watched as Mater lifted Sir Axelrod’s hood, and the purple car pulled up the image again. “It actually matches the engine from the photo…” Rip stated. 

“And it seems like after all of that, the Queen is offering the tow truck an honorary knighthood!” One of the race announcers said over the air.

“Her Majesty is what?” Lewis questioned, unsure as to whether he heard that right.

“Well, he did expose Sir Axlerod, who was committing terrorism.” Shu stated.

“That's definitely something to be knighted for." Carla said.

"Si, then he will then be known as Sir Tow Mater." Miguel pointed out.

"Y'all think we're invited to his knighting ceremony?" Jeff asked.

"I think so? Worst thing can happen is that we're turned away at the gates of Buckingham Palace." Max said. 

"Francesco still thinks this is a bad dream." 

"I think we're past that point, mate…" Nigel replied, everyone obviously coming to terms that all of that just happened. 

"I want to go back to France, and pretend this never happened." Raoul said. "This competition has been a disaster." 

There were murmurs of agreement among the racers. 

"After we attend Mater's knighting, we should probably head home." Rip suggested.

"It has been an honor to race with you all." Shu said as he bowed. "Let us head back to the hotel, yes? To relax to some extent after what has happened." 

Everyone agreed as they headed back to the hotel from the pits, looking forward to heading home after the ordeal that was the London race.


	8. Mater's Knighting

Shu waited with the other racers near the back of the main ballroom of Buckingham Palace for Mater to enter. 

"I've never been at a knighting ceremony before." Rip remarked.

"I think that goes for all of us. I've never seen so many chandeliers in one room…" Jeff commented as he looked around.

"The fact that we're even inside Buckingham Palace is amazing." Lewis said. 

"Hai. It is like the Imperial Palace in Japan. It is a great honor to be here." Shu looked behind him like everyone else when the doors opened, and Lightning and Mater drove through.

He watched intently as Mater bowed before the Queen. "I hereby dub thee, Sir Tow Mater." She said as she tapped each of Mater's headlights.

Shu clapped with his front tires as everyone cheered. 

"I guess we call him Sir Mater now." Francesco supposed.

"Nah, Mr. San Francisco, y'all can just call me Mater!" Mater said as he drove up to the group of racers with Lightning.

"I congratulate you on becoming a knight, Mater-san, but how did you know that Axelrod was behind all of this?" Shu asked. 

"Well, with all of the evidence from my spy friends, I just put it together." Mater explained.

"Spy friends? You mean they're secret agents?" Carla asked.

"Yeah! They got all of the weapons and stuff!"

"That explains the rocket engines…" Shu muttered. 

"Look, here they come now!" Mater said as Finn and Holley approached the racers.

Most recognized them as the silver and purple cars they saw when Mater was confronting Axelrod. 

"Francesco does not appreciate you flying over his roof during the race." Francesco said towards Holley as he deadpanned.

"Yeah…sorry about that…" Holley apologized sheepishly. 

Finn recognized Shu as the racer who was blown up during the Porto Corsa race, who he failed to save, and therefore caused the pile up. "Miles Axlerod ran an organization called the Lemons, who were responsible for blowing up Allinol with electromagnetic pulse emitters disguised like cameras. I apologize to those who were hit by the cameras." 

"It is fine. No one would've thought that it was Axlerod himself." Shu remarked.

"So it was all to give alternative fuel a bad name?" Max asked.

"Indeed. Ah, sorry, I haven't properly introduced myself. I am Finn McMissile." 

"And I am Holley Shiftwell."

"To think that all of this was going on, and we didn't know it. It's insane." Miguel commented.

"Yeah, I actually kind of wanted to invite y'all to come to Radiator Springs." Lightning piped up.

Everyone looked at him curiously, save for Mater, since he had talked to his Radiator Springs friends before to make sure his idea was alright.

"Is there an event going on there, mate?" Nigel asked.

Lightning nodded. "I wanted to host an unofficial Radiator Springs Grand Prix. To make up for the disaster of a competition this was. There's no trophy, though, if that's alright. Just bragging rights." 

"Well, we were planning on returning to our home countries when this was over, but that sounds like fun!" Raoul exclaimed.

"Francesco likes the idea as well. It gives another opportunity for your defeat, McQueen." Francesco said with a smirk.

"Hai. I look forward to having a normal race this time." Shu agreed.

The racers shared the same sentiments as Lightning grinned. "I'm glad y'all can make it!"

They chatted for a while more before they headed back to the hotel near Paddington, and Shu headed up to his hotel room. He entered and looked at his crew chief, who was currently watching TV. "Ah, Todoroki-san, how was the ceremony?"

"It went well. It was a great honor to attend Mater-san's knighting." He said.

"That is good. We'll both be very relieved when we head back to Japan." 

"Actually, about that. Lightning said that he wanted to host an unofficial Radiator Springs Grand Prix. There's no trophy, but it's just to give us an actual race to make up for this competition." He explained.

"Ah, are you planning on going?" 

"Hai. Is that alright?"

"Of course. I will probably not accompany you, though. I need a break after what just happened." 

"I understand, Matsuo-sensei. I will be back in Japan once it is over." 

He had a bit of a break between the end of the World Grand Prix and his next race in Japan, anyway. His trip to Radiator Springs would be his vacation.


	9. The Radiator Springs Grand Prix

Shu looked around in awe at the mountain peaks of Cadillac Range, as he drove down the main straight through Radiator Springs with the rest of the racers. The rural setting was definitely starkly in contrast to the urban metropolis of Tokyo that he was accustomed to, reminding him slightly of his upbringing at the base of Mount Asama. 

“This is so much smaller than Rio de Janeiro... “ Carla remarked as they followed Sheriff to the starting line, in front of all of the other racers. 

“Hai, though it is charming in that way.” Shu replied. “I can see why Lightning likes it here.”

“The mountains remind me of the picturesque Pyrenees! Except no snow.” Miguel remarked from behind them. 

“Or of Mount Asama.” Shu added before he parked in front of the starting line. He was happy that he had an advantage in this race, since he was at the front, even though it was unofficial and there was no press.

“I will dominate!” He said it more enthusiastically this time rather than seriously like he usually did. This race was for fun. 

The single starting light was quite small, but he’d manage. He had a determined smile as it turned green, and he floored it to maintain second place. He took the first right turn nicely, remembering the advice Mach always told him in the beginning of races.

He watched the desert landscape fly by as he saw Raoul obviously having fun bounding off road, since he was a rally car.

Lightning and Francesco whizzed by him, which was to be expected, but he didn’t let it deter him as he maintained fifth place behind them, Carla, and Raoul. 

They soon approached the giant rock formation known as Willy’s Butte, and he rode the rim around the formation like everyone else. 

He was on the stretch returning to the main straight through Radiator Springs, when he heard what sounded like rocket engines…oh no. He had no time to register that it was Mater when the tow truck rocketed past him, causing him to swerve out of the way like the other racers ahead of him. 

_Well, there goes first place…_ He mused as he tried to keep up. How did the tow truck still have those, anyway? 

He approached the paved part of the track again as it led back to the starting line, and he aimed to at least get third place by the final lap. 

He managed to make his way into fourth behind Francesco, Lightning, and Mater by the last lap, and he kept that position when he crossed the finish line. He was a bit disappointed, but the race was for fun. It didn’t matter that much.

Of course, Francesco didn’t seem to take it that way, as he looked quite indignant. “Francesco got second, not third. None of us had rockets like your tow truck amico did!” 

“Wouldn’t that put me in first, though?” Lightning pointed out with a smirk. 

Francesco opened his mouth to say something, but shut it when he realized that Lightning was right. “…You have a point.” He conceded.

“Woohoo! My first race! And I won!” Mater exclaimed excitedly.

He couldn’t help but smile at the tow truck’s joy. “That was a very fun race, Lightning. Thank you for organizing it.”

“No problem, Shu! At least we got one uninterrupted race between all of us, right?” 

“Hai. Though where are all of us going to stay for the night? The sun is setting.”

“Oh, the Cozy Cone. We have just enough cones for everyone!” 

All of the racers turned to look at Sally’s motel. That’d be interesting, staying in what looked like traffic cones. “Thank you for providing us accommodation.” He said as he bowed.

"You know what y'all should do next?" Mater said.

"What is it?" Max asked.

"Tractor tipping! It'll be fun with all of y'all!" 

All of the racers, save for Lightning, looked confused. They had no idea what tractor tipping was.

Lightning immediately shut that down. "Eh…no, Mater. There's too many of us, and someone will get shredded by Frank." 

"Who's Frank?" Jeff asked.

"A combine harvester. I don't think I have to elaborate." Lightning replied.

"Francesco does not want to be in any more danger than he has been." Francesco stated.

"Hai. Let's relax and have fun." Shu said.

“Hey, how about we all have dinner at the Wheel Well in celebration of our first real race?” Lightning suggested.

“That sounds great!” Raoul replied.

“Definitely. We should do this every year, Lightning.” Jeff remarked. 

Everyone made murmurs of agreement in response to the prospect of the Radiator Springs Grand Prix being a regular thing, since everyone had fun.

“Heh, if they’ll let me, Jeff.” Lightning replied as they drove off on the road leading to the Wheel Well.

Shu took the time to enjoy the landscape as he drove, since they weren’t racing anymore. “I can see why you like this place, Lightning.” He stated, echoing what he said to Carla before the race started.

“Yeah, it’s got a nice charm to it, doesn’t it?” Lightning replied.

“Hai. Most of us spend a lot of time in the city, so we don’t get to enjoy nature very often.”

“I’m glad all of y’all are getting a chance to slow down! No pun intended. But you haven’t seen everything.” 

He quirked an eyebrow. “Hm? Really?”

“It’s right after that tunnel.” Lightning explained as they approached it.

He wondered what Lightning was referring to, but soon found out as they passed the tunnel, and all of the racers let out a collective gasp of amazement. 

“That must be the tallest waterfall I’ve ever seen!” Nigel exclaimed.

“We have those in New Rearendia, but not as tall.” Rip stated.

“It is very beautiful. A perfect place to meditate.” Shu thought aloud. 

“It is unbelievable that it runs in the middle of a desert.” Francesco pointed out.

They crossed the bridge, which ran very near to the waterfall, and went up the road that led to the Wheel Well Motel. They soon made it up to the Wheel Well, and gazed at the lights strung up around the tables with umbrellas.

“Wow, this is very nicely appointed.” Lewis remarked.

“Thanks! We have a bar inside for drinks and the tables outside to enjoy the view.” Lightning said.

Shu didn’t initially know what Lightning was talking about when he mentioned the view, until he looked to his right and saw the sunset, with Radiator Springs situated in the valley ahead. 

“Look at that view…” Jeff said.

“Si, it is very beautiful.” Miguel agreed.

“Y’all can look at it all you want once you’ve got something to drink.” Lightning laughed as he gestured inside. 

Everyone followed him, to see Guido inside pre-mixing the same drinks he did last time. Lightning must’ve planned this out beforehand. “One of your team members is also a bartender?” Max asked.

“Yep! His name’s Guido.” 

Guido waved with a forklift arm as he flipped the straws into three glasses. 

“Hey, Francesco. You might be interested to know that phone over there is where Mater called Mel Dorado from.” Lightning said as he pointed to the phone with a tire. 

“Ah, that is where he argued on your behalf. Francesco thinks that is honorable.” 

“You thought otherwise when you were on the air.” Lightning joked.

Francesco rolled his eyes. “Yes, that is true, but Francesco has changed since then, no?” 

“Yeah, you have.” Lightning agreed. “Hey, our drinks are ready!” He pointed out as the racers grabbed their drinks and went outside to enjoy the view. 

Shu set his drink down on a table with his tires, and took an experimental sip. He wasn’t exactly one for alcoholic drinks, so he wasn’t thrilled, but it wasn’t bad. He’d probably go for a traditional can of oil, though, later on. 

"How's the drink?" Lightning asked all of the racers. "It's Guido's special cocktail." 

"It tastes very similar to something they'd make in one of the casinos in Porto Corsa." Francesco commented. "I like it." 

"Well, he is from a neighboring town." Lightning pointed out.

"Apologies if I offend you, but I will probably only take one. I prefer sake, if I drink alcohol." Shu explained.

"No problem. We got a whole range of oil back there as well." Lightning said.

He nodded as he took another sip, when his attention was drawn to Raoul, who was showing off by balancing on his two right tires. He was impressed like many of the other racers, but he was also concerned. "Is Raoul already drunk?" He asked Miguel, who was on the other side of his table.

Miguel laughed in amusement. "Nah. Raoul is just naturally a show off, from what I've seen of him during the races." 

He chuckled as well. "He was the only racer off road most of the race. I can see that." 

He enjoyed the rest of the night as it was spent with banter and laughter. He found himself getting to know his fellow racers better, and he looked forward to having everlasting friendships with them. He was happy that the World Grand Prix did not end in disaster like he thought it did, but in happiness.


End file.
